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From The Top Of The World
Taking place in the year of X793, '''Wings of Red' is a story arc narrating the life of independent guild and professional rock band, Wings of Archadia, and their journey to becoming a fully recognized and legal guild withing the Magical Council and the Kingdom of Fiore. From The Top Of The World is the first episode within this arc.'' The Mountain Top The Star Atlas shook from the roar of the crowd as they cheered within the amphitheatre. Wings of Archadia had just ended their final song of the night, finishing with another burst of magical energy that washed over the crowd. It appeared like multi-colored fireworks, bursting high above, slowly fizzling out as they rained down. Three years ago, the band could barely get a gig playing outside Stocks Pub in Illmarinen, the mountain city in Tuska. To see a standing ovation once more still made Royce Blixtrande smile. The band leader threw his guitar pic out into the crowd like he always did at the end of their concerts. He swept his hand threw his white sweat moistened hair and flung his Gibson Flying V back across his red leather jacket, raising his arms in appreciation of the crowd. To his right stood Roffe Snow who held his violin to his side as he bowed his head like a member of an orchestra. Next to him, the youngest and most energetic of the group, Clyde Colte, clapped his hands above his head, cheering back at the crowd. Behind Royce, Allastr Grimmgold still sat at his drums, his face blank under his long turquoise colored hair. Jakko Wohlhart, the band's bass player, flashed "peace" signs towards the crowd as he smiled wide with his Washburn XB600 bass guitar. And at the far left stood Zander Isdal, hands in his pockets and that cold face that he was known for. His Schecter C1 Hellraiser dangling from its strap around his shoulder. Royce leaned in to the microphone as the crowd still cheered, "Thank you, Star Atlas! Goodnight!" And the crowd roared once more as Wings of Archadia made their way backstage, smiling and waving goodbye as they did. The lights around the stage turned off while the rest of the Star Atlas lit up, giving the audience clear visibility as they made their way out. Stage workers ran out and quickly began dismantling and packing up the band's equipment. "I say that was a pretty good show." Jakko said as he lightly punched the back of Royce's shoulder. He was quickly startled by Clyde who had jumped on his back, wrapping his arms tightly around the bass player's neck. "Would have been better if you hadn't missed a couple of those notes." Clyde said teasingly as he rubbed the side of Jakko's head with his knuckles. "Bullshit! I didn't miss any notes!" Jakko exclaimed, managing to maneuver Clyde so his back was on Jakko's shoulders and carried him around as if he were in a torture rack position. "Tell him, Royce." Jakko gestured towards the band leader as Clyde squirmed to free himself. "I don't know. I think you were off a bit." Royce chuckled as they made their way towards the exit sign. "You guys are so full of shit." Jakko let go Clyde, who managed to roll off and land on all fours like a cat. Clyde quickly sprinted out of Jakko's reach. Jakko's scowled and Clyde pushed the large metal exit door open. A blast of cold air hit them with a few snowflakes landing on their faces as they walked out into the cool mountain air. "I counted 7 missed notes." Roffe said with a smile as he slid open the side door of their old black magical van. Each member slowly piled in, Jakko taking shotgun as Royce walked around to the driver's side. "Alright, enough raining on Jakko's parade. Drinks back at the pub." Royce stated as he slid on the SE plug and sent his magical energy through the wires connecting to the console, bringing the van to life. Aside from Zander and Allastr, the rest of the band hollered at Royce's offer and Jakko banged on the roof as Royce willed the van forward and headed back towards Stocks Pub. Living the Good Life The van lurched forward with its wheels crunching down on the fresh layer of snow. Royce, Jakko, Clyde and Roffe were singing one their songs as the van steadied into a nice easy pace. Jakko tapped on the dashboard with his hands in tune with the music while Clyde provided sound effects like a human beatbox. Royce and Jakko sat up front, while Clyde and Roffe sat immediatly behind them in the 3-row van. Allastr laid flat in the row behind them with his arms across his chest and eyes closed. Zander sat in the farthest row back, one leg over his knee, an arm resting on top of his seat and his other hand resting under his chin while his elbow was purched on the window lining. He stared outside as the street lights flew by him. Shadows forming around his face that seemed to dance with the proximity of the lights. Royce turned left at the fork in the road. Right would have kept you at the top layer of Illmarinen, while left, the band's route, would begin taking you down to the lower levels of the city. While the top layer got to enjoy the night sky and constant fresh air blowing through, the lower levels were filled with large factories and tall housing complexes. It was crowded and dark most of the time. Even when the sun was out, the lower levels were forever caught in the shade of the crescent valley the city lived in. This is why the street lights were always on. Lower and lower they drove, sometimes over long bridges that would connect huge sections of the industrial area. Crowds of people with their own stories to tell walked the sidewalks. No doubt in search of some night time entertainment or to merely drink themselves into daylight. Farther and farther down they went until they finally reached the base of the city. This area wasn't as crowded as the higher levels, but police were much more scarce. This left the area's residents to defend for themselves most of the time. Luckily, Stocks Pub, the band's home and guild headquarters was nearly untouched. People respected the pub and trouble seemed to leave it alone. The large pieced together shack stood there with its bright red sign flashing "Stocks Pub". The band rolled up towards it. Jakko opened his door and jumped out, fingering a pair of keys out of his jacket pocket as he walked over towards the large garage door. He searched the keychain until finding the right key, slid it in the key slot and turned. It let out a slight metal scraping noise before finally clicking. Jakko bent over and grabbed the handle and hoisted the door upward until it was high enough for the van to slide in. Once in, Jakko stepped into the garage and closed the door the door behind them. Wings of Archadia had come home. One by one, the band piled out of the van and made their way through the door that led into the Pub. Jakko ran his fingers through his hair to remove the little flakes of snow that had accumulated from his time outside. While sunlight was hard to get through to down here, snow didn't seem to have a problem. It was already starting to pick up outside, the wind whipping through the streets and could hear it slam up against the garage door. "HEY! You guys are late!" said an old man in a crabby voice at the end of the hall. Nestor Stocks, the previous owner of Stocks Pub, stood there furrowing his eyebrows with his fists resting on his hips. His normally brown hair and handlebar mustache was colored in an orange hue from the lights in the hall. It gleamed off his bald spot at the top of his head. He wore a stained white apron over his white shirt. "Can't run this place by myself, ya know." He started to take off the apron hastily and then threw it towards Jakko. "Jakko, get your ass in the kitchen. We got hungry customers waiting." Jakko reacted at the last minute, fumbling the apron in his hands. "Roffe, you got thirsty customers." And Nestor curled his fist, sticking out his thumb and using it to point towards the door that led to the bar. He looked straight at Clyde, "Clyde, ya know what I'm listenting to?" Clyde paused, hearing nothing else besides the mumbles of the customers past the doors. "Music. Your highness feels like gracing us with that?" Nestor said sarcastically as he leaned in towards Clyde, who responded with recoiling. Each member quickly ran out towards their designated places and began working. Zander and Allastr walked out casually without Nestor saying a word. But he did glare at them as they walked by. "You're a bit harsh sometimes, ya know that, pops?" Royce took off his leather jacket and opened his office door. "I ain't harsh! You boys just ain't working hard!" Nestor continued to nag while Royce hung his coat. "Stocks Pub almost disappeared and ain't ever letttin' that happen again, ya hear me?" Nestor waved his old wrinkled finger at Royce, who merely smirked as he sat down behind his desk. "I'm not letting Stocks Pub go out of business again. I promise you that." Royce appeared reassuring in his voice, trying to calm a clearly irritated Nestor. "Then get out their and shmooze with the locals. That's the only way you can keep this place running." Royce merely sighed as he lifted himself off his chair. After a night of performing at the Star Atlas, all Royce wanted to do was relax for a bit. But Nestor's insistent nagging ruined any hopes of that dream being fulfilled. He left his office and headed down the hall towards the door that would lead out into the main area of the bar. He could hear the sizzling coming from the kitchen as Jakko had to deal with the numerous orders that were pouring in. He didn't envy Jakko in the slightest. Royce pushed against the swinging door and stepped through. Clyde was already playing music for the locals and he could see off in the distance Zander leaning next to the main entrance. Zander often filled in as the bouncer for Stocks Pub. Not that many fights ever broke out, but Zander didn't seem to mind throwing out rambunctious drunks out on their asses when the opportunity arose. Allastr was sitting at the bar, staring off at the distance while he took small sips from his whiskey glass. Nestor was already keeping himself busy stocking up the bottles while Roffe continued pouring drinks. Royce sat on the stool next to Allastr, giving him a light pat on the shoulder without saying anything. "The usual, Royce?" Roffe asked as he whiped off a clean glass. Royce nodded in confirmation. Roffe placed the glass in front of him, opened a bottle and poured out an amber colored drink that fizzed. "The only pub owner that I know of that doesn't drink alcohol". Royce grabbed the glass and took a sip. "What can I say? I like ginger ale." He chuckled and clinked his glass against Allastr's. As he took another sip, Royce paused for second, feeling slightly uncomfortable. He could feel a pair of eyes burrowing into him from behind. His face straightened and turned back. Stocks Pub wasn't brightly lit from inside and finding the source of his discomfort was proving difficult. Not to mention the amount of customers coming and going that was constantly obscuring his vision. Off in the blackness of the pub, he could faintly see a figure in a red hood, but his vision was suddely blocked by a group of miners walking directly in front of him. Royce quickly readjusted his head to see past the men but by the time he could clear his vision, the figure had disappeared. His stood up trying to scan the room. Royce looked over towards Zander but there was no one matching the figure heading towards him. Roffe placed both hands on the bar counter. "Royce, you alright?" Royce still scanning, remained silent for a moment. Finally relenting in his search he glanced back at Roffe and then back towards the crowd. "Yeah. Sorry, thought I saw something." The Wandering Red It was closing time for Stocks Pub and the last customer had just finished leaving as Zander locked the front door. The rest of the band, as well as Nestor, were busy cleaning up and stocking the bar. Clyde was rolling up the wires from his equipment while Allastr lifted chairs and turned them upside down to place them on top of the tables. Jakko was in the kitchen mopping up the floor. You could hear the water running in the sink as it filled up to soak the dishes. Royce had finished locking up the money in his office safe and grabbed his coat off the hangar. Something was still bothering him about earlier. He locked the door and headed towards the others as they finished up their chores. "Alright, guys, I think we're done for tonight." Royce said as he put on his jacket and fixed his collar. "You heading out?" Jakko asked. Stocks Pub wasn't just a place of business for them. This place was also their home. Above the first floor was nearly 3 additional floors that held their rooms. So for Royce to be heading outside at this time of night, it meant that he wanted to be alone. Royce pulled out a cigarette pack and shook out one. "Yeah, just need some air is all." He pressed the cigarette to his lips and walked out into the frosty night without lighting it. The snow was falling lightly and he could feel it crunch under his boots. Behind him, the distinct red hue of the neon sign that read "Stocks Pub" had just flickered off. The only thing lighting his path were the street lights. He paused for a moment, trying to find his lighter. He flicked open the black lighter and struck the flint wheel with his thumb. As he raised it towards the tip of his cigarette, the small orange flame blew to one side and Royce knew what was coming next. A figure in a red hood instantly appeared in front of Royce. Its red boots dug into the snow with purpose as it turned to deliver its fist toward the side of Royce's head. The band leader managed to lean back in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. Although it missed him, Royce could still feel the intensity and power behind the attack. Quickly the red hooded figure adjusted his stance and threw another punch. This time a cross aimed directly at his face. Royce skipped back to get himself out of range, but the hooded figure stepped in with him. Royce rose his forearm to block the attack and shot an attack of his own. He hooked his left arm and spun his hips, his left leg turning on the ball of his foot. The red hooded figure proved a worthy adversary and ducked under the attack. Now with an opening, it threw another powerful punch aimed at Royce's stomach. There was nothing that he could do block it. His adversary was too fast to block in time. All he could do was brace for the impact. Just as it's red gloved hand was about to collide, it spoke, "Iron Fist Magic: Collapse!" He stated in a distinct male voice, loud and firm. The Magic Seal formed in front of his fist and collided with Royce's stomach. Royce had the air knocked out of his lungs as the force of the attack shot through him. Instantly, he was launched into the air and collided with the garage door, denting it inward. Royce fell to his knees and tried to grab as much air as he could, but the hooded man was already above him, coming down with another punch. Royce quickly rolled to the side to avoid it and the fist crashed against the stone floor. The sheer power behind the attack seemed to shake Stocks Pub completely. Rock and snow exploded into the air. Royce raised a hand to shield his eyes from the debris, his hair and jacket blowing away in the wind. Unfortunately, that left another opening and the hooded man flew at him with another fist. It struck against Royce's forearms who had brought them up to block the attack. It knocked him back once more, but this time Royce was able to land on his feet and slid backwards, leaving twin trails in the snow. "Alright, shithead... you want to play games?" Royce stated angrily, his teeth bared like an animal. Immediately, Royce's power began rising, rustling up the snow underneath him. His leather jacket began expanding and stretching as his muscles swelled underneath. "Come at me, bro." The hooded man wasted no time and attacked once more. His Magic Seals burned white hot on the back of his palms. A series of punches flashed through the air while Royce bobbed and weaved between them, avoiding the potential damage the hooded man's attacks would inflict. Royce again threw another hook, which the hooded man ducked under and followed up with the same attack as before. This time, Royce had seen the pattern and when he saw the fist coming closer, he clasped it with his own hand, completely unafraid and unharmed. He gripped it tightly and delivered a backhand that sent the hooded man spinning. His face still remained obscured under his red coat. Royce merely grinned and waved him to attack again. "Still as arrogant as ever, Royce." The man said from under his hood as he rubbed his cheek where he was struck with the back of his palm. He shot forward with such intensity that snow kicked up into the air and appeared in from of Royce, throwing another punch. Wind whipped past him. Something in his voice caused Royce to hesitate and the fist grazed the side of his face as tried to avoide the attack. He couldn't place where he had heard the man's voice but it had sounded familiar. Another punch flew past him, but this time Royce dodged the attack and wrapped his arms around the hooded man's extanded arm. "Gotcha, punk." Royce stated as went to grab the man's hood to expose his face. Like a caged animal, the hooded man lashed out, causing Royce to loosen his grip. Not before his hood flew back revealing the man's silver cross cropped hair and pale skin. Royce was immediately flooded with old memories of a time long ago. Of a friend who he thought was long dead. His eyes were wide as he struggled to speak. Its as if the air had been knocked out of his lungs all over again. "J-Johan?" Johan merely smiled as he looked at Royce. His face was almost sincere looking. You could not have imagined that a few seconds ago, this man was intent on killing him. "Its been a long time, Royce." Johan said calmly as he raised his fist preparing for another strike. But before he could react, Zander had appeared directly in front of him and gripped Johan by the wrists and pushed him back. The two fighters locked in a test of strength and struggled to free from each other's grip. Zander remained calm and collected, staring coldly into Johan's eyes. "Nice to see you, too, Zander." Johan grinned and turned his body, bringing Zander over his shoulder and throwing the red haired guitar player into the air. Zander easily adjusted himself midair and landed safely on his feet. Again, he remained cool. Johan could see the rest of the band beginning to circle him. Johan raised his fist into the air and a Magic Seal burst above him. "Look's like its time for me to leave. See you in Magnolia Town, Royce." He said with a grin once again and brought his fist down against the floor. "Iron Fist Magic: Whisper" and a large explosion engulfed him, releasing a shockwave that picked up the snow and created a think wall of force that washed over the band members, each shielding themselves from the snow and force. Once the debris had settled, the band members returned their sights where Johan should have been. Instead, it was now vacant. Jakko whiped off the snow from his black leather jacket, "Where the hell did he go?" Royce and Zander were already scanning the area, trying to find any sign of Johan, but it was too late. The Wandering Red had vanished. Time to Hit the Road Royce ignored the pain in his ribs as the band, including Nestor, sat inside Stocks Pub. Jakko was feverishly pacing back and forth, mumbling to himself before finally letting out his thoughts. "Johan? Johan-fucking-Hellstrom?" Jakko made sure to puncuate every word as he leaned towards Royce. "I thought he was dead." Clyde sat on his chair reversed, a look confusion on his face as he switched between Royce and Jakko. "Umm... who's Johan?" Royce sat there silently, old memories still running through his head. He let out a long sigh before finally saying something. "Johan was a childhood friend of mine. He also helped Jakko and I form the band." Royce cut himself off, opting to not say anything more. Jakko rolled his eyes, "Yeah, and he's a certifiable whackjob." Royce was taken back by that statement, almost seeming offended. Jakko slammed his hands down on a table. "What? You know what he was like and what he did." Jakko was clearly agitated now, appearing defensive. "Enough." Royce stopped Jakko from saying anything else and there was an awkard silence in the room now. Jakko huffed and turned his back on Royce, storming off towards the stairwell that led to their rooms. Royce slouched slightly, deflating in his chair as he stared at the floor. The rest of the band sat in silence for a while longer, avoiding each other's gaze. One by one they left for their rooms. Nestor did his best to appear reassuring and patted him on the shoulder before he, too, left, leaving Royce all alone in the empty bar. "Johan..." The next day wasn't any better. Royce had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling of his room and was exhausted by the time the sun tried to make his way through to the city below. He was just grateful that the band left him alone that morning. He distracted himself by fixing the garage door from his altercation last night. Fixing implied punching it repeatedly until it somewhat resembled a straight surface. "What, Jakko?" Royce asked without looking back. Instead, he continued slamming down on the garage door. "You know what, Royce." Jakko stated, standing behind the band leader. "What are you going to do about Johan?" "Going to Magnolia Town." Royce said flat while he continued working. "Magnolia Town? What are you talking about?" Irritation in Jakko's voice. "Johan said he would see me in Magnolia Town and that's where I'm heading. I thought about it last night and made up my mind." Royce slammed the garage door shut. It didn't align perfectly but it would do the job. "We're not touring for two months. That's plenty of time for me to head down and settle this." "You're insane! You honestly expect us to just be ok with you going down there." Jakko jabbed a finger in the air in the direction of Royce. "I'm not asking for permission." Royce placed his hands on his hips. "I'm going. You and Nestor can run the pub while I'm gone." Royce gestured to head inside but was stopped by Jakko who tugged him back on the shoulder. "Whoa, whoa. If you're going down there, then I'm going, too." Jakko said defiantly. "No way. This isn't your business." Royce shot back, pulling away from Jakko's grip. "If it affects the band, then it is my business." Jakko got into Royce's face. "I'm not asking for your permission." Jakko did his best to imitate Royce during that last statement. Royce didn't have a response and merely grimmaced before heading back inside. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Jakko said to no one. Within the hour, Royce was packing his gear and preparing for his trip. Jakko, much to Royce's protests, was doing the same. "Absolutely not!" Nestor was fuming. Royce had tried to explain the situation to him and the rest of the band, but the old man was defiant in letting him leave. "You're not going anywhere." Royce rolled his eyes. This was the second time now that he's been told what he can't do. "This isn't up for debate, Stocks. I'm going." He stuffed the last of his clothes into his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Look, we've done pretty good here. Close the pub down and take a vacation." He walked past Nestor and headed downstairs towards the pub. Nestor marched quickly behind him, scolding him the whole way. "Oh, you think its that easy? Just close up shop? While you go off and fight some guy who tried to kill you?" "Pretty much." Royce said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Nestor only grew angrier and stormed off to the back office. Royce looked around the bar area but it was completely empty. Wondering where the rest of his band was, he caught a glimpse of something that immediately drew ire. He walked quickly to the entrance and flung the door open. "What are you guys doing?" He yelled out at his band members as they were finished loading the last of their gear to the top of the van. Clyde and Allastr were on the roof fastening the large tarp over their bags to protect them from the weather. Zander, wearing a long black trenchcoat, silently boarded the van and took his usual seat all the way in the back. Roffe threw his bag inside, "What does it look like we're doing? We're hitting the road with you." "Absolutely not." Royce exclaimed as he walked up the van. Clyde tied off the last knot. "I don't think we were asking for permission." He said with a grin and jumped off the roof. "Geez, is everyone being a smart ass today?" Royce irritated with what's going on. "Pretty much." Jakko said as he walked past Royce and climbed into the passenger seat. The rest of the band climbed in with Roffe slamming the door shut. Jakko rolled his window down, "Waiting on you, princess." Before Royce could take another step, there was Nestor once again. They didn't exchange any final words, nor was Royce expecting it. Instead, Nestor leaned in and gave Royce a hug. Royce smiled and returned it. "I'll be back before you know it, Pops." Nestor gave him a pat on the back and broke the hold. He gave a final salute to the rest of the band who he saw wave back from their windows. Royce walked to the driver's side and slid in, closing the door behind him. He beeped the horn while Jakko gave a wave and the band were off on their way. Royce smirked, "I'm his favorite, ya know?" He grinned towards Jakko. "Yeah, yeah. He gave me a hug, too. Don't brag." Jakko responded almost immediately. They drove up the layers of the Industrial District, crossing large bridges that connect them. Looking over the edge it seemed like a bottomless pit as the city stretched further down below. It's been years since Wings of Archadia had left Ilmarinen so the band took its time to savor it. While the district wasn't as visually appealing as the Sky District, it was still their home. The van reached the large docking station where they could board an airship that was heading towards Magnolia Town. It was sectioned off by a large steel wall that surrounded the entire complex, a massive gate being the only entrance allowed to the public. The band slowly creeped up to it as the guards were scanning each vehicle, waving them in once the occupants were given the all clear. Royce rolled down the window as a security guard walked up to the van. The security immediately recognized the band, letting out his excitement by immidating a guitar with his hands and singing one the band's more popular songs. Royce tried his best to appear thankful and only after he agreed to autograph the security guard's notepad were they allowed inside. The inside was rather expansive, nearly a dozen tracks stretching from one end to another. There were already several large airships docked in the water near the tracks with ramps leading up to them for the public to use. The van turned left towards the parking area. Royce would be able to buy passage for it once they purchased their tickets. The Rays of Pohjola, the large airhips that traveled throughout Fiore, would be their means of transportation to Magnolia Town. They appeared like large cruise ships powered by a fusion of magic generators and steam. The rest of the band waited in the van while Royce and Jakko headed towards the ticket center and purchased their vouchers. They would be leaving from Platform 3, which they were making their way to. The ramp was already down when they pulled up to the ship. Slowly, they drove up and into the cargo area just as the final call was made over the loud speaker, signaling the ship's departure. The final passengers hurried up the ramps as the cargo ramps were pulled up and slid into the side of the ship. They locked into place as the ship's horn bellowed throughout the station. Slowly, it vibrated as the hum of the magic generators echoed throughout the cargo area. The band made its way up to the public area. It began moving, the station sliding back as Wings of Archadia looked out the windows. The ship lifted itself out of the water and began hovering over the area. It floated over the Sky District, growing smaller and smaller as the ship pushed forward and upward. Royce pressed his hand on the window, as if saying goodbye to the city and the rest of the band retreated to their respective rooms. > Continued in Journey to Magnolia Summary Fights & Events *'Introduction to Wings of Archadia' *'Royce Blixtrande vs Johan Hellstrom' (Interrupted by Wings of Archadia) *'Wings of Archadia vs Johan Hellstrom' (No winner, Johan flees) Magics, Spells and Abilities Used *'Magics:' **'Iron Fist Magic' ((鐡拳魔法, Tekken Mahō) *'Spells:' **'Iron Fist Magic: Collapse' (鐡拳魔法 • 倒壊, Tekken Mahō: Toukai) **'Iron Fist Magic: Whisper' (鐡拳魔法 • 低声, Tekken Mahō: Teisei) *'Abilities:' **'Rage' (Royce - partially)